1. Field of the Described Embodiments
The present disclosure relates generally to gaming machines, and more particularly to a gaming machine configured to allow a side wager to be made among players of different machines.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many of today's gaming casinos and other entertainment locations feature different single and multi-player gaming systems, such as slot machines and video poker machines, that enable players to play wager-based games. Wager-based games generally refer to games in which a player risks a certain amount of money or credits on a round of gameplay. If the outcome of the round is favorable to the player, he or she may be awarded an amount of money or credits equal to or greater than the amount risked by the player. However, if the outcome of the round of gameplay is unfavorable to the player, the player loses the risked amount and receives nothing.
Gaming machines are highly regulated to ensure fairness. In many cases, gaming machines may be operable to dispense monetary awards of a large amount of money. Accordingly, access to gaming machines is often carefully controlled. For example, in some jurisdictions, routine maintenance requires that extra personnel (e.g., gaming control personnel) be notified in advance and be in attendance during such maintenance. Additionally, gaming machines may have hardware and software architectures that differ significantly from those of general-purpose computers (PCs), even though both gaming machines and PCs employ microprocessors to control a variety of devices. For example, gaming machines may have more stringent security requirements and fault tolerance requirements. Additionally, gaming machines generally operate in harsher environments as compared with PCs.
In many casinos and other entertainment locations, the types of wagers that a player of a gaming machine can make are typically predefined. For example, a player of a slot machine may be restricted to placing an in-game wager between a minimum and maximum amount. Moreover, the player may be restricted to wagering against the “house,” i.e., the operator of the casino or other location. In other words, the player's winnings are paid out to the player by the operator of the establishment and the player's losses are paid directly to the operator of the establishment.